Well, now Random House, the publisher of McGinniss' book, is joining McGinniss in the hot water. After it became clear that Random House was aware of the lack of factual support for the accusations in McGinniss' book, the Palins' attorneys sent a letter warning them to preserve evidence in preparation of a potential lawsuit:

My Senator, Marco Rubio, is currently in Libya as part of the first Congressional delegation to visit since the Qadafi regime was deposed. Senator Rubio has been speaking out more in foreign policy topics recently and yesterday, National Review posted his op-ed on the subject of religious and political oppression in Iran.

Rubio highlights the plight of a Christian pastor named Yousef Nardarkhani, who is facing execution for abandoning Islam and refusing to recant his Christian faith:

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

I've publicly said that I want Florida to have an early presidential primary date. I understand why people in Iowa and New Hampshire like their early primaries, but I don't think it's in the best interest of the country (e.g., Iowa's disproportionate power in the presidential primaries is a large part of the reason why we have the wasteful and destructive ethanol subsidies).

As a Republican, I want Florida to have a prominent role in picking our nominee. We are a large, diverse state with complicated issues, so any candidate who can succeed here has proven the ability to succeed on a national scale.

That being said, news has broken today that the committee in charge of setting Florida's primary date is planning on scheduling it for January 31, 2012. Earlier tonight, Republican Party of Florida's National Committeeman Paul Senft sent out an email criticizing this date and laying out his reasons for opposing it. After reading the email, I agree with Senft that we should wait until early March.

I've cut and pasted the email below the jump. Read, and judge for yourself:

After Herman Cain won the Presidency 5 straw poll, I found State Representative Scott Plakon and his wife Susie in the convention center lobby and we called one of the Cain staffers who had set up the meeting where Plakon had endorsed Cain.

A very happy Team Cain was already on their way to the airport, but Herman Cain had time to briefly chat with us on the phone about how pleased he was with the straw poll results and how grateful he was for Plakon's support. They were nice enough to let me record the call, and I'm happy to share it with you here:

It is extremely rare to win a straw poll or election for just one reason, and Charlie Crist is not why Herman Cain won the Presidency 5 straw poll, but he was one factor out of many that contributed to the tidal shift this week from Rick Perry to Cain.

I was proud to be a witness to State Representative Scott Plakon's endorsement of Herman Cain last night. Representative Plakon is one of my favorite legislators, and it has been great to watch him become a strong, conservative leader in the Florida House. He and his wife Susie and their family are also some of the nicest people you could ever meet, and I am blessed to be able to call them friends.

I received criticism from those who felt I didn't condemn the booing strongly enough and from those who did not believe my depiction of what happened. As to the first issue, my apologies. As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, it was very late at night and my goal was to just write and publish my observations about the booing at the debate, not take the time to discuss broader issues.

So let me be clear: I absolutely, positively do not support booing a soldier for asking an honest question, period. I absolutely, positively do not support booing a gay man for asking an honest question, period. I strongly believe that the few individuals who booed were awful, classless, jerks. They were an embarrassment to my state, my Republican party, and all the wonderful people who worked so hard to plan the Presidency 5 events this week, and they should be ashamed of themselves.

And, for the record, I stated my opinion about DADT back in June 2010:

Friday, September 23, 2011

AFP State Representative of the Year Scott Plakon has decided to endorse Herman Cain for the Republican nomination for President!

I was lucky enough to be in the room as the two of them discussed being business owners and the presidential race. Both Cain and Plakon are committed to retiring Barack Obama and bringing new conservative leadership to Washington.

This is yet another example of how CPAC Florida & Presidency 5 are shaping the narrative for Florida Republican politics!

It's after 3:00 am and I have to get up early for another fun-packed day tomorrow (CPAC FLORIDA!) but I want to put this on the record now about an incident that happened at tonight's Republican debate. It's important that the truth is shared, because I have already seen liberal bloggers and some people on Twitter completely distorting what happened.

The debate included video questions that were submitted on YouTube, and one came from a soldier serving in Iraq who is gay and asked about the candidates' opinions on don't ask don't tell. There was audible booing after his question...however, please note that it was not the crowd booing. It was only one or two people.

I was at the debate, in the audience on the right hand side about halfway back (here's my tweet of the video screen that was right in front of us). The person who booed was just a few rows in front of us. The booing got an immediate and angry reaction from nearly everyone sitting around him, who hissed and shushed at him. Lots of loud gasps, "Shhhh!" "No!" "Shut up, you idiot!" etc.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

I'm heading down to the Orange County Convention Center for all the Presidency 5/CPAC Florida excitement, and definitely looking forward to tonight's debate.

I'm a voting delegate for Presidency 5, and for the record, my mind is not made up yet who is getting my vote in Saturday's straw poll. I've been getting lots of mail and robocalls and email messages from most of the candidates but tonight's debate is going to be key in my decision. I know I'm not alone in not feeling completely tied to a candidate yet.

Boca Raton, FL - Today the Adam Hasner for U.S. Senate campaign announced the endorsement of former Republican Party of Florida Chairman and longtime Republican activist Carole Jean Jordan.

"I am extremely proud to announce my endorsement of Adam Hasner for United States Senate. He is the only candidate in this race Floridians can trust to faithfully represent their core values on a daily basis," said Carole Jean Jordan. "While others in this race once sought to undermine the defining principles of our Party for personal gain, Adam has always been loyal and steadfast in defending and promoting our bedrock values. I have no doubt that when elected to the U.S. Senate, he will continue his dedicated fight and be a strong voice against the policies of President Obama and Senator Nelson which have weakened our state and our country."

Continuing his tradition of having ice cream sundae parties at Republican events, CFO Jeff Atwater is hosting a "Coke and a Float Party" to wrap up Presidency 5 (which starts tomorrow! Get excited!) on Saturday, September 24, from 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm. Details below:

(Click image to enlarge)

Find this and lots of other great events at the "Events" tab at the top right of this page.

As the Republican primary battle to be Florida's next Senator has developed over the past few months, one claim that I have seen over and over is that George LeMieux had a "conservative" voting record during his short tenure as a Senator.

Ron Burgundy liked to say that he was "kind of a big deal," but the reality is that as the 2012 election cycle heats up, it's Florida that really is a big deal.

Last week, CNN and the Tea Party Express hosted a Republican presidential debate in Tampa, and now this week will see both CPAC Florida and the Presidency 5 debate and straw poll.

Governor Rick Scott was interviewed on Fox & Friends yesterday, and remarked that Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and Bob Dole all won Florida's straw poll and then went on to win the Republican presidential nomination, so he believes that whoever wins the Presidency 5 straw poll will be the 2012 Republican nominee:

Here's your #facepalm moment of the day: George LeMieux, the once-and-would-be-future-Senator, sent an email to his supporters in which he referred to "Palestine," which is not a recognized country.

The timing is especially troublesome, coming the week of a crucial United Nations vote on the very subject of an independent Palestinian state. Supporters of Israel have stood strong and refused to accept a Palestinian state as long as they continue to engage in terrorism and deny Israel's right to exist. Referring to "Palestine," as if it were already a country with legal status, is, at best, imprudent.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Congressman Allen West has started releasing weekly video addresses. Here's the latest edition, in which West critiques Obama's so-called "jobs" bill and discusses a variety of topics including the economy, the NLRB vs. Boeing dispute, the upcoming vote at the United Nations regarding Palestine, and his support for Israel:

You can help Allen West's reelection campaign for only the cost of a postage stamp, by signing a petition to put West on the ballot (link here). Until redistricting is complete, a registered voter anywhere in Florida can sign a petition for a Congressional or state legislative candidate.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Last week, I posted a great Ford commercial in which a customer named "Chris" states that one of the reason that he bought a Ford truck was because the company was "standing on their own" instead of taking government bailouts like GM and Chrysler.

Ed Morrissey at Hot Air has an excellent write-up about the commercial, including a followup video from Chris:

There are two things that Newt Gingrich does extremely well: tell a good story, and give a direct answer to a question. I got to see him do both of those things on Wednesday evening in Lake Mary as the keynote speaker at the Seminole County Reagan Day Dinner, sponsored by the Ronald Reagan Republican Assemblies of Florida, Inc.

Gingrich's speech was mostly anecdotes about Ronald Reagan (ahem, it was a "Reagan Day Dinner," after all), some of Gingrich's own memories with the former President, but also many other great stories from throughout Reagan's life. Some highlights:

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Florida Senate candidate Adam Hasner released another "Conversation with Adam Hasner" video today. This latest video discusses his decision to run for U.S. Senate and why he believes "America is at a
critical crossroads and in desperate need of conservative reinforcements:"

I am so excited about having CPAC come to my hometown. Can't wait to see all of you here in Orlando, and this is going to be a truly memorable week, with Presidency 5, the FoxNews debate, and now this epic-levels-of-awesomeness CPAC FL schedule.

More information about the speakers, programs, and registration after the jump:

L'affaire de Greer continues to burn, and it hasn't escaped the notice of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. In a recent post, the DSCC lands some devastating blows on George LeMieux, including link after link after link to news articles showing the years of connections between LeMieux, former Governor (and former Republican) Charlie Crist, and former RPOF Chairman Jim Greer:

Sunday, September 11, 2011

I've been spending the day like many of you probably have - quietly reading articles and blog posts online and watching the news coverage. As I posted earlier this morning, it seems surreal that it's been a decade since that awful day that changed America forever.

I thought I'd share with you some of what I've been reading and watching today:

It has been ten years since September 11, 2001, but it often seems like it just happened yesterday.

It is a sad reality that every modern American generation has been united by its own horrific tragedy. For our grandparents, it was Pearl Harbor. For our parents, JFK's assassination in Dallas. And September 11th will forever define my generation. These are the "I will always remember where I was when I heard" moments that draw a brutal demarcation across our history: the Before and the After. We can rebuild, we can find our own ways to cope and heal, but life is never, ever the same.

In 2001, I was in law school at the University of Florida, engaged in the mundane task of getting ready for class, when my roommate called out that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. How could this be? What had happened to the pilot that the plane couldn't avoid such a tall building? What a terrible accident...

Late in the morning of the Tuesday that changed everything, Lt. Heather “Lucky” Penney was on a runway at Andrews Air Force Base and ready to fly. She had her hand on the throttle of an F-16 and she had her orders: Bring down United Airlines Flight 93. The day’s fourth hijacked airliner seemed to be hurtling toward Washington. Penney, one of the first two combat pilots in the air that morning, was told to stop it.

The one thing she didn’t have as she roared into the crystalline sky was live ammunition. Or missiles. Or anything at all to throw at a hostile aircraft.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is hosting a reception and policy briefing on September 19, 2011 here in Central Florida.

The program is titled “Showdown at the United Nations: Diplomacy or Delegitimization?” and will feature Dr. Tal Becker, the lead negotiator
during the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations under the Annapolis Peace Process. Dr. Becker also served as a Senior Policy Advisor to Israel’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs from 2006-2009, and his recent book, Terrorism at the State: Rethinking
the Rules for State Responsibility, received the 2007 Guggenheim Prize for
Best International Law Book. Dr. Becker's discussion will focus on the ramifications that the Palestinians’ efforts
to unilaterally declare a state at the United Nations will have for Israel and
for the greater Middle East. Their first real push in the U.N. Security Council
is scheduled to take place the very same week as this
event.

Yesterday was a sad day for Florida Republicans, as RPOF Chairman David Bitner died after a valiant battle with ALS. Saint Petersblog has done an excellent job collecting messages from leaders around the state in reaction to Bitner's passing:

The myth that moderates are more "electable" is debunked in this American Thinker article, with a discussion of the 1964 Goldwater-Johnson race, the 1980 Reagan-Carter race, and several recent Senate races:

Thursday, September 8, 2011

State Representative Scott Plakon is having a very funny contest on his Facebook page: whoever guess the number of times that President Obama uses the words "I," "me," and "my" in his speech tonight will get free dinner for two with Plakon and his wife:

Here we go again. The Republican presidential candidates squared off last night at the Reagan Library, so once again, I did an analysis of the trending topics on Twitter immediately after the debate ended. (Don't miss my previous posts on the New Hampshire debate and Ames debate.)

The only debate-related topic that was trending nationwide was "Did Ron Paul." Yes, you read that correctly. Unfortunately for Paul, the vast majority of the tweets for that topic were along the lines of "Did Ron Paul really just say that crazy thing?" Many of these tweets centered on Paul's comments that a border fence could also be used to keep Americans in, and that we should save money by taking away the air conditioning units from our troops in Afghanistan. Huh?

The press release included this statement from State Director Slade O'Brien:

The
legislative scorecard allows our 86,000 members to see how their elected
officials voted on issues affecting individual liberty and economic prosperity. The 2011 legislative session was
one of the most business-friendly in years, with successful reform measures
addressing unsustainable pensions and Medicaid, health care freedom, and
burdensome regulations stifling job growth. These are the issues that will move
our state forward and guarantee continued economic growth for Floridians.

Americans for Prosperity-Florida applauds all 79 Legislators - six Senators and
73 Representatives - that received A+ scores for advocating for less government,
less taxes, and decreasing burdensome regulations on businesses. These are
critical policies our lawmakers must support in order to ensure Florida can
compete on the national and international level. The elected officials that
received scores of D and F show hostility towards the free market and protecting
the individual liberties on which our country was founded.

AFP also awarded State Representative Scott Plakon its "Legislator of the Year" award, noting that he had "repeatedly proven to be a principled leader set on protecting liberty with
his sponsorship of vital legislation including the Health Care Freedom amendment." State Senator Joe Negron was chosen from the Senate.

Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Michael Ertel sent out an email today with information about the upcoming municipal elections in Altamonte Springs and Lake Mary (Oviedo and Longwood were originally scheduled to have elections as well, but the incumbent city commissioners were reelected without opposition):

Election day will be November 8th for both Altamonte Springs and Lake Mary.

If you just moved to Altamonte Springs or Lake Mary, October 11, 2011 is the last day you can register to vote and participate in this year's city elections.

Altamonte Springs residents can vote at the City Hall building at 225 Newburyport Avenue.

Lake Mary residents can vote at the City Hall building at 100 North Country Club Road.

Early voting will be 10 am to 6 pm on Friday, November 4, noon to 4 pm on Saturday, November 5, and noon to 4 pm on Sunday, November 6 at the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections office at 1500 East Airport Blvd.,
Sanford, FL 32773.

The plan (also available at www.tedcruz.org/jobsandgrowth) has twelve steps. Contrasting himself with the Obama administration, Cruz stated that he believes that "government doesn't create jobs, but it can kill jobs," characterized the first six steps of his plan as defensive against the President's "war on jobs," and the last six as proactive, designed to spur growth and stimulate job creation in the private sector.

..."It's hard to believe it's been 10 years," said former U.S. Rep Adam Putnam, now Florida's agriculture commissioner, who was at the school.

Putnam, a Bartow Republican the president nicknamed "Red," and the others were preparing for a feel-good event: a visit with students that would highlight the school's improvement.

The call Bush took was startling, but no one knew what was really going on. Officials first thought a small propeller plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers.

Bush continued with the program, reading along as second-graders recited The Pet Goat, a story in a workbook. Then Card walked over and whispered in his ear, "A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack."

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

I've decided to start referring to the whole Jim Greer controversy as "L'affaire de Greer," in homage to "l'affaire du collier," also known as "The Affair of the Necklace," which involved Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette in the lead up to the French Revolution. Both scandals involve political intrigue, extravagant spending, public outrage, and the betrayal of former allies.

But, frankly, overspending on a company card is not a unique problem. Most people's spending habits are different when they are spending their own money versus being able to write off a meal or travel to their employer. Greer took it to an extreme, but what sets this scandal apart, and what I believe deserves the most attention and investigation, is the usurpation of RPOF resources and power to interfere in primaries - most egregiously, the 2010 Senate race.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Just in case there was any doubt that liberal and conservative brains are different, here comes MSNBC's Ed Schultz to remind you.

As you may have heard, my Senator, Marco Rubio, gave an incredibly moving speech at the Reagan Library about a week and a half ago. (If you haven't seen it yet, click here.) Normal people and journalists watched that speech and felt that it was an excellent followup to his maiden speech on the Senate Floor, and the speculation about Rubio being the GOP's Vice Presidential nominee became nearly deafening.

Well, Ed Schultz watched the same speech that you and I did, but had a much different reaction. Here's a two-part YouTube video where Schultz calls Rubio "stupid," "offensive," and "psycho talk", among other pleasantries:

Friday, September 2, 2011

Blogging is a wonderful but often weird and wacky hobby. The ability to contribute my ideas and opinions to the political discussion, not to mention the chance to potentially shape that discussion, is a privilege, and not one that I take lightly. Lately, there has been a lot of debate about the proper role for political bloggers and the controversial influence of advertising money and other conflicts of interest, so I thought I would share a few thoughts.

Note that many of those who supported Obama in 2008 have lost faith in him; more specifically, they have lost faith in his administration's support for Israel. South Florida has the third highest concentration of Jews in the country, and it's clear that Middle East foreign policy issues are a priority for this group of voters.

Sweet. I'm number one again on the list of "Florida's Top Political Tweeters." Well, technically I'm tied for first with Progress Florida, but I think they have several people working that account and I'm just little ol' me, so I'm going to go ahead and declare victory. High five to State Representative Scott Plakon, who improved his score an amazing 27 points, making him the 2nd highest ranked politician, right after Allen West.

And that's bad news for LeMieux as he runs in a crowded Republican primary where he's trying to shake the legacy of calling himself and acting like a "Charlie Crist Republican." Judging by the first night's installment, the TV piece won't have much new in it. But it raises the issue of Greer and it specifically highlighted LeMieux, thereby making the old story news again. And campaigns are all about examining a candidate's past to help determine his future.

LeMieux has tried to distance himself from his old boss (and Greer) by saying that Crist drifted left after he left the governor's office as chief of staff. But Greer told us a while back that he inked a little-known $10,000 monthly Republican Party of Florida contract — ultimately worth $150,000 — to pay LeMieux to continue giving Crist advice through a company called MTC Strategies.

Greer owes a measure of his chairmanship to LeMieux, who was Crist's top campaign and gubernatorial advisor early on and therefore rounded up the votes on the Republican Executive Committee of RPOF to help make Greer chairman.